THE MAN
(AND WOMAN) BEHIND THE BOOK
by
John C. Blew
Delivered to The
December 7, 1998
Copyright 1998
by John C. Blew
About
10 years ago, I crossed an invisible but critical line from being simply a
reader, to being also, and eventually primarily, a collector of books. The
focus of my collecting interest is
In trying to make my way in this world, I quickly and repeatedly encountered
strange citations to "Howes," followed by a capital letter of the
alphabet, a number and a lower case letter or letters in quotes. I was
mystified. What was "Howes" and what did the letters and numbers
refer to? Eventually, I learned that "Howes" was a bibliography
devoted to
I decided I needed a copy of this bibliography. I discovered it was long out of
print but that copies occasionally came up for sale in the used book trade. I
finally found a copy at a
~ the
title: U.S.Iana -- it was a word I had never seen nor heard before;
very distinctive and a bit strange; I subsequently learned that most users also
stumble over the name and simply refer to the book by the last name of its
compiler;
~the compiler: -- Wright Howes -- it was to me, an appealing,
interesting name with a distinctive "Yankee" ring to it
~ the compiler's address: 1018 North State Street, Chicago, Illinois; I
had never heard of Wright Howes, and I remember being surprised and intrigued
to see that he lived in Chicago.
~The sponsor: The Newberry Library; this further connection to Chicago
was of great interest to me
~the forward (written by the compiler): in four succinct and elegantly
written pages, Howes explained the purpose, philosophy, organizing principles,
limitations, exclusions and methodology of the volume; I have since read that
forward many times and found the traits of its author reflected in it:
humility, wit, self-deprecation, thoroughness, clarity, an unpretentious
disposition and a wonderful way with words
~the inscription: only after I got the book home did I notice that the
compiler had written an inscription on the inner flyleaf in a distinctive hand
that later became instantly recognizable; it reads as follows:
"Lines
addressed to Charles L. Horn, Esq.
Judged strictly by Puritan standards --
Every man born is a crook:
You pay us in inflated dollars;
We sell you an over-priced book!"
It was
signed "Wright Howes"; below his signature was a second signature,
very tiny but equally distinctive, "Zoe Howes"; I assumed Zoe was
Wright's wife; her signature inferred to me some sort of active role in the
work
~the annotations: many of the individual entries are annotated
succinctly and informatively and sometimes humorously; for example, referring
to Joseph Smith's Book of Mormon, first published in Palmyra, New York
in 1830, the annotation reads:
"On
this flimsy foundation was reared
enduring communal movement;"
or,
in the case of Henry Brown's History of Illinois, published in
"Chronologically
the first, intrinsically
the worst, history of this state."
U.S.Iana
was first published in 1954; a definitive and more widely used second
edition was issued in 1962. It contains individual entries on 11,620
non-fiction works published between 1650 and 1950 which pertain to the history
of that part of the American continent now referred to as the continental
Over the years, I made inquiries about Wright Howes. Although virtually all of
the dealers and collectors with whom I talked used his book, most knew nothing
about him. A few did. I learned that he had been dead for some time, that he
had been for many years an antiquarian book dealer in Chicago who specialized
in Americana and who ranked -- nationally and internationally -- at the very
top of his field, that he had a special relationship with Everett Graff --
about whom a few words later, that he appeared to have been universally
respected, and that those who knew him liked him and enjoyed his company. Much
of this, as well as the traits which were evident in his writing, I found
personally appealing, partly because they seemed to set him apart from the
general run of rare and used book dealers that I have encountered over the
years.
About two years ago, I decided to undertake to learn all that I could about
Wright and Zoe Howes. My primary objective is to write a reasonably detailed
monograph on their lives, their activities as booksellers and the compilation,
publication and significance of U.S.Iana. I believe their achievements, their
long connection with
With that in mind, I have decided to divide most of the remainder of my talk
into two parts: a summary, mostly devoted to Wright, of the period up to late
1924, when he and Zoe established their own book business in Chicago; and,
secondly, a description of the nature of that business and of their lives from
1925 until they retired in 1970 and left Chicago. Of necessity, much of perhaps
greater interest to you will be omitted. For that, I beg your indulgence.
The period up to 1925
Henry Wright Howes was born in 1882 in
Howes' family roots in
Davis Howes worked hard, but he also married well. His wife was Susan Moore
Wright, a lovely woman from an old and prominent
Davis and Susan Howes settled in
Wright Howes, growing up in
After attending public elementary and high schools in
This was, I believe, a profoundly unhappy period in Howes' life. As an
impressionable 18 year old, he found himself suddenly in a huge Northern city,
vastly and jarringly different from the placid small town Southern environment
of his youth. Far more troubling was the long illness and then, during his
first year in law school, the death at age 47 of his beloved mother at their
home near the
The close relationship which Wright had with his mother was not repeated with
his father. While never particularly close, their relationship deteriorated
further when, after his mother's death, his father remarried. His new wife was
never accepted by Wright. The fault did not appear to lie with the wife, who
seems to have had a good relationship with Wright's three siblings. Indicative
of the strained relationship between father and son is the final Will of Davis
Howes, written in 1914, when Wright Howes was 31 years old. In the Will, Davis
Howes gives substantial bequests to his three other children and, "To my
son Wright Howes, who has not treated me with proper respect, I give Five
Dollars." Although they met a few times after Wright left New York,
relations between father and son never improved. When his father died in 1923
and was buried in the family plot in Macon, Wright did not attend the funeral.
Following graduation from Columbia Law School in June 1905, at the age of 23,
there would have been nothing to keep Wright Howes in New York City. That he
promptly left New York, then, is no surprise. That his destination turned out
to be a tiny town in Arkansas is rather more surprising. Nevertheless, the record
is clear that Henry W. Howes, in October 1905, was granted a license to
practice law before the courts of Arkansas. Howes settled in Rogers, Arkansas,
in the northwest corner of the State, close to the borders of Oklahoma and
Missouri.
At that time, Rogers had a population of about 2,500. It was the center of a
major apple producing region and a prosperous shipping point on the Frisco
Railroad. It had five lawyers, including Howes and his partner, John P.
Baldwin, a contemporary of Howes from Missouri. The Rogers Democrat, the
local newspaper, stated in October 1905 that:
"Howes and Baldwin is a new legal firm in Rogers. Mr. Baldwin has been here for several months but H.W. Howes arrived only the first of last week from New York City. [They] will make a team of hustlers."
Apparently,
they didn't hustle enough. By the end of 1907, just two years after their
arrival, both Howes and Baldwin had left Rogers. An examination of the listings
of professional and business people in Rogers during this period reveals a
pattern of arrivals from somewhere else, short stays in the town, and then
departures for elsewhere. Perhaps the opportunities were not as glowing as the
promotional materials of the Frisco made them seem. At any rate, Howes and
Baldwin were not at all atypical in this regard.
Howes' nephew, Dr. Davis Howes -- the only surviving relative who knew him well
-- told me that Howes had a romantic infatuation with the Great West and that
he chose to practice law in Rogers because it was on the frontier at the time
and south of the Mason Dixon Line. It is consistent with this love of the West
that in his long career as a bookseller, Howes was perhaps most noted for his
knowledge of Western Americana.
Howes gave up the practice of law for good after only two years. Upon leaving
Rogers in 1907 he entered the book business, which he thereafter pursued
continuously until retiring 63 years later -- except for two years' military
service during World War I. This was a significant and abrupt career change and
would seem to reflect a distaste on Howes' part for the work of a lawyer.
The origins of Howes' interest in the book business, as well as the history of
his early involvement, are obscure. Wright Howes mentioned to several people
that an uncle of his, who was a friend of Ambrose Bierce, had introduced him to
the book business and significantly influenced his entry into it. The uncle in
question was Silas Orrin Howes, a brother of Wright's father. Silas, the
youngest of eight children, was born in Macon in 1867 and was only 15 years
older than Wright. Silas Howes was in the newspaper business, first in Macon
and later in Galveston, Texas, where he worked for the Galveston News,
the leading daily newspaper in the city, for 14 years, leaving the paper and
the city in 1911. Silas, who was a bachelor his entire life, appeared to have
moved in literary and "bookish" circles in Galveston. He numbered
among his friends Rabbi Henry Cohen, an outspoken social reformer who assembled
a famous book collection.
There is considerable circumstantial evidence suggesting that Silas Howes,
while working for the Galveston News, was also engaged in the book
business on the side, perhaps dealing out of his home. It is quite possible
that while Wright was practicing law in Rogers, Arkansas, 500 miles north of
Galveston, he corresponded with and perhaps visited his uncle. Wright's
nephew's "memory flag," as he termed it, is that Wright told him he
did in fact visit Silas in Galveston. A few years later, as will be seen,
Wright and Silas appear briefly to have actually gone into the book business
together.
Silas Howes' modest claim to fame, it appears, was his friendship with Bierce.
He even edited a selection of mediocre Bierce essays which was published in
1909 under the title The Shadow on the Dial and Other Essays. I suggest
that if, as appears, he was an instrument to his nephew's entry into the book
business, that is a far more significant, lasting and memorable achievement.
According to an article in a Chicago newspaper, Howes "got his first
bookselling experience [in 1907] in an old archway shop in Boston." This
was probably the used book store on Washington Street run by the firm of
DeWolfe, Fiske and Company which was widely known as "The Archway." DeWolfe
Fiske also carried on a new book trade with public libraries, schools and other
institutional purchasers "in the country districts," as one writer
suggested. It would have been consistent with his future work that Howes began
learning the antiquarian book trade "under the Archway" and that he
traveled for DeWolfe Fiske, selling new books to and probably also buying used
books from such institutions.
It is clear that Howes' last bookselling job before moving to Chicago in
November 1912 was also in Boston. He held it for only a short time. In between
these two stints in Boston there is much confusion. It is apparent from
correspondence that Howes traveled a good deal during this five year period,
probably selling new or possibly even used books for his employer or employers
and probably buying used books for them or for his own account as well. It is
also apparent from correspondence that he was based in New York City for much
of this time. The names of his employers and the exact nature of his work
(though most likely in the book business) are unknown. It appears that he fell
in love at least twice during this period, the second time with Zoe.
Notwithstanding that Zoe was born and raised near Galesburg, Illinois, the
evidence suggests strongly that Wright and Zoe met in New York City, where they
both appeared to be working.
A particularly interesting letter is one postmarked September 1912 at San
Antonio, Texas from Wright Howes addressed to Zoe in New York City. Both the
envelope and the stationery bear the printed legend, "The Howes Book Shop,
317 West Commerce Street, San Antonio, Texas", and the stationery also
states "Dealers in Old and Rare Books", with the names of S.O. Howes
and H.W. Howes printed at the top of the page. This would seem to confirm that
Wright Howes and his uncle did in fact engage in the book business together,
that they specialized in the sale of "old and rare books" and that
they had an established place of business for a time at San Antonio, Texas.
However, there is much evidence to suggest that the venture was short-lived.
The letter in question reads in part as follows:
"Didn't work yesterday -- for an important decision was pending. Got an
offer from a Boston Book Shop and as the business in San Antonio isn't now
really enough for two have decided to accept -- so I leave here tonight. Silas
should be able to get on without me for the present -- and if he has success,
it means we will have something to look forward to -- a business of our own!
Since a
listing for the shop does not show up in the San Antonio business directories
of the period and since there are letters dated late in 1912 addressed to Silas
at Brentano's Book Store in New York, where he is known to have worked after
leaving Galveston, it appears that the San Antonio business did not meet with
success. But it gave Wright the first taste of operating his own business,
which, as the letter indicates, was something he looked forward to.
Howes was to spend only a few months in Boston. In November 1912, Powner's Book
Store in Chicago wrote to him there, responding to a letter from Howes in which
he appears to have inquired about a job. Powner's letter offered Howes a job
"to virtually assume the management of our Clark Street Store" and
requested that he report "at once". Howes accepted the offer and
promptly moved to Chicago, where he continued to live for the next 58 years --
except for those two years' of military service.
Powner's Book Store had been opened by Charles T. Powner in the old Methodist
Church Block at 37 North Clark Street four plus years before Howes arrived in
Chicago. Powner was a fascinating man. He was 50 years old when he came to
Chicago in 1903 to become manager of an antiquarian book store at 26 East Van
Buren Street, a store which he would later acquire and at which Wright Howes
would also work. Before that, Powner had been a teacher and principal in high
schools in small towns in Indiana and Illinois for many years. He also
developed a taste for historical research during this period and for gathering
and preserving local records. In 1901, Powner was appointed "official
collector" for the Indiana State Library, a position that entailed
locating and acquiring historical records, letters, books and manuscripts all
over the state. This is precisely one of the skills at which Wright Howes
excelled; surely he must have learned some of the tricks of this trade from
Powner.
Powner's Book Store on Clark Street soon became one of the most popular in
Chicago. It offered a large selection of "new and old books" and
eventually adopted the marketing motto, "The House of a Million
Books," which was widely known. Powner's son, Willard Earle Powner, joined
him in the business at the end of 1908. At the time of his death in 1920,
Powner and his son operated a chain of book stores in Chicago, Cleveland,
Detroit and Los Angeles.
Howes worked at Powner's Book Store from December 1, 1912 -- his 30th birthday
-- until joining the U.S. Army nearly four and one-half years later in May
1917, shortly after the U. S. entry into World War I. There is little
documentation to fill in the details of his business activities and personal
life during this period. One assumes that he was active in a fairly senior
management position at Powner's. There is evidence suggesting that he was also
traveling for Powner's, seeking to acquire book collections, duplicates and
other antiquarian materials for the store as well as to sell the Powner wares.
On the personal level, it would seem that Wright's and Zoe's lives were coming
together. About a year after Wright arrived, Zoe moved to Chicago and took up
work as a librarian Downtown. They lived across the street from one another on
East Oakwood Boulevard, on the South Side. This arrangement continued until
Wright entered the Army.
One can only speculate that this was a period of happiness and fulfillment for
Howes. Then one can only wonder why, at 35 years of age, he gave it all up to
enlist. I'm sure genuine patriotism had something to do with it. But I'll also
bet that the southern military tradition of his mother's family, which was
deeply ingrained, kicked in. With America's entry into the Great War and the
call for volunteers, he was probably eager to respond.
Wright spent two years in the Army and was honorably discharged with the rank
of First Lieutenant, Infantry. His many letters to Zoe during this period have
survived, and they provide a vivid picture of his military service. He spent
the first 16 months in training and waiting, mostly at Camp Grant, near
Rockford, Illinois. During this time, the constant shooting on the target
range, including with the new Browning automatic rifle, took its toll on
Wright. He suffered permanent hearing impairment in his right ear, which
eventually resulted in his hospitalization and a partial disability stipend which
he continued to collect from the federal government for the rest of his life.
Nevertheless, he was itching to join the fighting in Europe.
He finally got his wish, arriving in France just six weeks before the November
11 armistice and the cessation of hostilities. To his disappointment, however,
he was quickly appointed Acting Commander of his company and given
administrative duties. On November 21, 1918 he wrote to Zoe:
"I've been pretty blue -- had to see nearly all my men leave and go into the Argonne fight and have to stay behind -- I was on my way to the front when the Armistice was signed. Many of the men did well -- many were killed -- I should have been with them -- for that last month was decisive and it would have been wonderful to have participated -- if it hadn't been over so soon I would have gotten in -- but I never had any luck."
In mid-December he was sent to a military hospital in Anger for treatment of his ear trouble. While there, the realities of war began to hit home. In a particularly poignant passage in a letter to Zoe written in January 1919, he says:
"Since I've been at this place and seen so many badly wounded men I have been able to look at my disappointment at not getting into the fight much more philosophically -- poor devils! Some are badly shot up and suffer a great deal -- together with the certainty of being cripples for life..."
With the war over, Howes became the tourist, reveling in his first trip to Europe and taking liberties with the Army's orders granting leave to allow himself more time to do so. Writing to Zoe after one such adventure, he states:
"I had a leave for 7 days in Nice and was away for 21 days -- doing pretty
well, eh! I got back today and squared things here very well -- the adjutant
was somewhat annoyed at my over staying my leave -- but I jollied him into good
humor and acquiescence before I left -- I didn't care much what they did. I was
determined to see all I could -- and I did."
As it
turned out, this was only the first of many trips that Howes would make to
Europe, usually alone but also at times with Zoe. Like this trip, these later
trips, most of which occurred during the late 20s and 30s, were primarily for
business. In that era, much of the finest Americana -- virtually all the books
of exploration and discovery, much of the writing on colonial America and the
Revolutionary War and many works by travelers, observers and emigrants --
originated in Europe and could still be found there. Howes made at least eight
lengthy buying trips to Europe during these decades. He was a well known figure
among the leading members of the London and Paris rare book trades.
Although still in France, Wright was now eager to return to the States. The
Powners were after him to rejoin their business. He wrote to Zoe in February
1919:
"Have [an] offer from Powner but I can't come to definite arrangements
until I return -- suspect I'll take up the old game tho -- can't see anything
better for me! would prefer, of course, being near my sweetheart and that means
Chicago -- and all in all I know of no better town -- do you?"
In the same letter, he refers to his finding time in France to engage a bit in "the old game." He writes:
"I'm not reading much, though have bought 30 or 40 volumes -- mostly
Americana -- am shipping them to N.Y. -- c/o my sisters, as I'll probably be in
N.Y. some weeks before I'm discharged and I can dispose of the books faster in
N.Y. than in Chicago -- haven't found anything wonderful -- only mediocre
finds! may make a few dollars..."
Howes
returned to the United States in April 1919. After an initial stop at a
military hospital at Camp Merritt, New Jersey, he was sent back to the familiar
territory of Camp Grant, near Rockford and released. He was back in Chicago in
the summer of 1919 facing several important career and personal choices.
While at Camp Merritt, Howes received an extraordinary letter from Charles
Powner, written in April 1919 from Powner's winter home in Tucson, Arizona. The
letter is not only a clever and charming offer to Howes to manage the new store
which Powner was about to open in Los Angeles, but also illuminates better than
any single source that I have found the type of activities which Howes probably
engaged in during much of the time since his entry into the book business in
1907 -- the same types of activities which in part were to characterize his
long years to come as an independent rare book dealer. It deserves to be quoted
in full:
"Dear
Mr. Howes:
I have just heard of your return from France. That was good news, but
accompanied with it came the report that you are, temporarily, in a hospital.
Permit an old friend to prescribe for you, -- no charges for this service. Sure
good for what ails you if taken as directed.
Prescription.
For Lieut. H. W. Howes
Physician, Powner, Sr.
1 Trip.
1st Terminal, Camp Merritt.
2nd Terminal, Los Angeles, Calif.
1st Stop Over. Chicago. Time [to] Ad Lib.
2nd Stop, Land of sunshine and oranges.
Time, Pleasure of patient Howes. It is suggested that the patient use his own
discretion as to the time to begin treatment under this prescription. Powner's
Book Store will open early in July, at 542 South Spring St., and will at once
need the services of a distinguished looking, mild mannered, socially inclined,
well read bookman, whose principal duties, during the first few months, (until
damp weather arrives) shall be to expound the beauties of bindings, text,
condition, etc., of the enormous stock so recently dumped down on the unwary
citizens of beautiful Los Angeles.
As the damp, dank, cold weather approaches, which tourists declare does
approach, and which the old residents declare never does, the patient is
recommended to continue his travels along the coast of the gulf of Mexico,
which borders the U.S., and to stop at such cities as San Antonio, Galveston,
New Orleans, etc. and skin the dealers of such cities out of their choice
volumes, and the historical societies out of their duplicates, and replace them
with currency of books from the various stores doing business under the name of
Powner's Book Store.'
On each Saturday Eve, with the same regularity as The Saturday Eve[ning] Post,
the patient will open an envelope and take therefrom a certain sum of money to
be devoted to his own personal uses.
This treatment to continue until oranges no longer are palatable; until
grapefruit, fresh from the trees, has lost all flavor; until the rich colors of
ripe peaches and apricots have lost their attractiveness; until fresh
vegetables and sunshine are unbearable, and the patient yearns for "ham
and" as well as the snow and sleet, and wind and rain of either New York
or Chicago.
Mix, Shake.
Powner, M.D."
Wright
made two decisions upon returning to Chicago in the summer of 1919. First, to
accept a position with Powner's, not in Los Angeles but in Chicago, as Vice
President of Charles T. Powner & Co. and manager of the Powner's
Antiquarian Book Store at 26 East Van Buren Street; Wright also acquired an
ownership interest in the Powner enterprise. Second, to marry Zoe. As an
accompaniment to both, he rented an apartment in the eight story Grant Park
Arms Apartments at 1142 South Michigan Avenue, where he and Zoe were to live
for the next 20 years. On June 17, 1919 (a Tuesday, interestingly), Wright and
Zoe were married in his apartment before three witnesses. One can only wonder
why they chose to remain in Chicago rather than move to Los Angeles to work in
Powner's new Los Angeles bookshop. Perhaps they simply thought their
opportunities were better in Chicago.
Wright remained with Powner's until approximately the summer of 1924. The
evidence confirms that he had indeed taken up the "old game." It is
likely that during this five-year period, probably early during it, Wright and
Zoe decided to establish their own rare book business as soon as it was
feasible to do so. On the numerous buying and selling trips he made for
Powner's, he undoubtedly bought books for his own account and inventory. There
is also some evidence that he was selling some books for his own account during
this period. In September 1924 Wright severed his ties with Powner's, selling
his stock in the business to Willard Powner for $1,000 in cash and notes.
By January 1, 1925, Wright and Zoe had leased retail space facing Michigan Avenue
on the ground floor and the basement of their apartment building in which they
opened and operated a bookshop selling "old and used books" on a full
time basis. Wright was 42 and Zoe was 39. Their future course was set. It was
to continue, more or less in the same mode, for the next 45 years.
1925 to Retirement in 1970
When Wright and Zoe opened their business -- Wright Howes -- Old and Rare Books
-- at the end of 1924, they were eminently prepared to make an immediate
impact. The business, from the beginning, specialized almost exclusively in
Americana. Howes always felt that specialization was critical to success in the
book business. Wright had by then had 16 years of experience in that field,
during which time he had crisscrossed the country calling on libraries,
historical societies, schools, rare book dealers and collectors to buy and sell
antiquarian books. He had a wide assortment of contacts, he either knew
personally or knew of all the famous collectors and dealers, and he knew the
ins-and-outs of the business.
Zoe was a trained librarian. She also soon became a highly skilled bookbinder
who was able to repair and restore many of the books which Wright offered for
sale. Equally important, she understood the basics of bookkeeping and business
principles. She applied these to the management of the business throughout its
existence. She also conducted most of the voluminous correspondence with
customers and others. All of this freed Wright to do what he loved and did best
-- the acquisition, cataloging and selling of the books, visits and calls from
customers and other dealers and the nearly continuous reading of a great many
of the books which he stocked.
The shop itself was warm and inviting. It had beautiful glass fronted oak
bookcases, carpets on the floor and comfortable couches where visitors could
sit while reviewing potential purchases or chatting with the Howes. At the end
of the day, the Howes merely needed to turn out the lights and go upstairs to
their apartment in the same building. The building -- which remarkably still
stands and has just been converted to condominiums -- is on the west side of
Michigan Avenue, just north of Roosevelt Road and, at the time, was across the
street from the Illinois Central main terminal building. The shop quickly
became a mecca for collectors, dealers and those interested in American
history. Wright had terrific books, he was a great conversationalist, and he
had an extraordinary memory and an extensive and ever growing knowledge of
American history. He was also charming and kind -- they both were -- and
generous in sharing that knowledge with all who called. A visit to their shop
was as much a social occasion as a commercial event.
In January 1925, Howes issued his first catalog. He was to issue 72 more over
the course of the next 25 years. Many of these catalogs, with their informative
and scholarly annotations, are classics in the field of Americana. All of them
are highly collectible and very hard to find. In those days, the antiquarian
dealer's catalog was the principal way in which he sold his books. Each catalog
was sent to collectors, institutions and other dealers across the United States
and abroad. Orders would be placed by mail, telegram and sometimes telephone.
Visitors to the shop were also an important source of business. Many of them
were out-of-town travelers who were between trains in Chicago.
The Howes' gradually came to number among their customers most of the famous
collectors of and dealers in Americana in the United States as well as leading
scholars in American history, libraries and educational institutions. But they
also had many customers who were new to collecting or dealing in books and
feeling their way. One of the hallmarks of Wright was his generosity in freely
sharing his knowledge with virtually all who came to call. This theme was
repeated over and over in the many memorials which were published in the AB
Bookman's Weekly following Wright's death in 1978. The Curator of Special
Collections at a major university put it this way:
"Two aspects of Wright Howes will always be a pleasant and grateful memory for me. The first is his unfailing kindness to beginning collectors. During World War II, I used to visit him when on furlough. At the time I had visions of collecting Western Americana, not realizing what I was getting into. Howes sold me a number of items, usually below his marked price, but, more important, he educated me in his kind way about specialization. He also gave me priceless advice about the ABCs of collecting -- attic, barn and cellar -- advice which has helped me throughout my career. He performed these kindnesses in a way which made me feel important -- private soldier though I was."
The
reference to attic, barn and cellar brings to mind one of the ways that Howes
found and acquired many of the rare and highly sought after books, pamphlets,
newspapers and manuscripts which he cataloged and sold over the years. Before
leaving on a U.S. buying trip, he would place an ad in the classified section
of the local newspaper in each of the towns he intended to visit, announcing
his arrival date, identifying the types of materials he was interested in
buying and inviting responses to a box at the newspaper. When he arrived in the
town, he would collect and follow up on the responses that had been received.
Wright was also known for his dry wit and wonderful sense of humor. He and Zoe
and their customers appeared to enjoy a good laugh almost as much as a good
book. One 1930 letter from a customer found among his papers provides some
evidence of this. Typed on stationery of The Stevens Hotel, just up the street
from his shop, it reads as follows:
"Dear
Mr. Howes:
When you were in my room last night, you offered to purchase my library for
twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) and we made an agreement on that basis.
You were to send me a certified check in the above amount and I was to turn
over to you the warehouse receipts for the library. When are you going to send
the check?
If your recollection of the transaction is hazy, I can refresh your memory by
referring to the charming brunette you were sleeping with. I have no doubt but
that she will remember the whole deal. I remember her remark when we closed the
transaction, "Oh Wrightie dear; you're going to give all the books to me,
aren't you?" Being gallant, of course you indulged her in this whimsy.
Maybe your wife would like to talk to this brunette -- I'll leave that to you.
P.S. No rubber checks, please."
The
Depression was hard on booksellers too. It is common, in the Howes catalogues
from the 1930s, to see the same book appearing over and over, often at
gradually declining prices. Nevertheless, the Howes' always lived modestly,
they were decidedly unmaterialistic and at least a portion of their clientele,
both individual and institutional, had the resources to continue to purchase
notwithstanding the general economic hardship. Wright and Zoe appeared to ride
out the Depression, and Wright continued to make buying trips within the United
States and to England and France throughout the 1930s.
A major change in their lives -- on the surface at least -- occurred in 1939.
The area around their shop and apartment on South Michigan Avenue, where they
had lived since their marriage in 1919, had begun to decline. Much of their
local customer base was composed of North Siders. They closed their shop, gave
up their apartment and moved two miles north to another apartment building at
100 East Chicago Avenue. The four story building, gone now, was located at the
northeast corner of Chicago Avenue and Rush Street, a block west of the water
tower. Their rented apartment, located on an upper floor, had about eight
rooms. In addition to changing their address, they changed the way they did
business. They no longer operated an open shop. Rather, they ran their business
from the apartment where they lived. The bookcases were brought from the
Michigan Avenue shop and installed in their Chicago Avenue apartment. Wright's
nephew recalls virtually every room except the kitchen being lined with books.
Customers now called by appointment or invitation.
This was more a change of degree than of real substance. The Howes never
depended on "walk-in traffic." Their personal and business lives were
always closely aligned and the boundary between each was blurred. When Wright
read for pleasure he was also reading for business. Their guests with few
exceptions were clients or others associated in one way or another with books.
A well ordered bookshop does, after all, have much in common with a library at
home. Of course, the absence of children facilitated this style of living and
working. The new arrangement was in most respects more efficient, less
expensive and more flexible than that which it replaced.
The Howes lived and conducted their business at their Chicago Avenue apartment
for 12 years -- from 1939 until 1951. In 1951 they made their final move in
Chicago, to a rented apartment on the first floor of the Irving Apartments at
1018 North State Street. They also rented a room in the basement of the Irving
for book storage and as a place where Zoe could do her bookbinding and
restoration work. When they moved to the Irving, Wright was 68 years old and
Zoe was 65. They lived in the same apartment there for almost 20 years, until
March 1970 when the Irving was razed to make way for the Newberry Plaza high
rise development. They moved the bookcases and carpets to the new space and
continued to conduct their business from the State Street apartment in much the
same way as they had on Chicago Avenue. However, there were changes in
deference to their age and focus on other projects. Wright issued his last
catalogue in 1949. Thereafter, most of his sales were made to customers who
visited the apartment. He continued to receive and review the catalogues of
other booksellers and, when he saw a desirable item at a reasonable price, he
would buy it for his stock. He also continued to attend the great auctions of
Americana which were held during this period. But his buying trips were over,
and most of his sales, especially after 1960, were from the stock he had built
up over the years.
He spent considerable time in the early 1950s working at the Newberry Library
on the compilation of U.S.Iana, the first edition of which was published in
1954. Thereafter, until its publication in 1962, he worked more or less
continuously on the preparation of the expanded, corrected and definitive
second edition of U.S.Iana. The Irving Apartments were owned by the Newberry
and located only a block from the Library. Many Newberry staff members had
apartments there. The location was very convenient for Wright, and both he and
Zoe enjoyed socializing with Newberry personnel.
When Wright quit the practice of law in 1907 to go into the book business, he
seemed to have made a fundamental decision that he was no longer going to
engage in an activity for the primary purpose of making money rather than
because he enjoyed it. He consciously set out to make his living doing things
he liked to do. It took him another 17 years to perfect this approach, to find
a similarly inclined mate with whom to share it and to accumulate the capital
necessary to launch it. But he did it, and for over 50 years Wright and Zoe
lived this type of lifestyle. Wright's days were spent reading, preparing catalogues
of his stock -- an activity in which he delighted -- and hosting visitors who
included a wide range of often fascinating people who came to the apartment not
only to buy books but also and sometimes solely for stimulating conversation.
Wright read extensively, deeply and regularly for at least 60 years in American
history. He especially loved to seek out, read and then offer to others little
known contemporary accounts and memoirs written by pioneers and early settlers,
among others.
Wright was unusual among bookdealers in that he actually read and could put
into their proper historical context most of the books he offered for sale. His
correspondence is replete with scholarly and esoteric commentary on various
works and historical figures. This reading clearly contributed to his prowess
and reputation as a bookdealer -- he couldn't have operated at the level he did
without the specialized knowledge derived from it. But he really didn't engage
in it for that primary purpose. He did it because it interested him and gave
him great pleasure. As Dr. Howes, his nephew, said of the summer he spent at
Wright and Zoe's apartment on Chicago Avenue when he was 11 years old:
"Uncle Wright was always reading. I could never tell whether it was for
profit or pleasure."
The
Howes made compromises in order to lead this kind of independent life, although
they may not have considered them as such. They never had children of their own
and family in general does not appear to have been a high priority of either
Wright or Zoe. The genealogy of their families was important, but not getting
together with them. Wright's nephew, Davis Howes, was an exception. In
addition, money as such was never a major consideration for Wright and Zoe.
They lived modestly all their lives, with few possessions of value except for
their books. They never owned a home; they always rented. They never owned an
automobile; in fact, neither of them ever learned to drive. Their clothing
budgets were limited. Wright typically dressed in a sport coat and bow tie and
Zoe in a simple dress. While they ate many dinners in restaurants, they tended
to favor only a few unpretentious establishments in close proximity to their
apartment. No one with whom I talked could remember either of them taking a
pure vacation. Zoe was devoted to, and Wright tolerated, Siamese cats. They had
a long succession of them over their many years in Chicago.
Their longevity is remarkable considering their lifestyles and personal habits.
Both of them were heavy smokers until near the end of their lives. His nephew
recalls Wright typically smoking three packs of unfiltered Camel cigarettes
daily. Neither of them exercised in any conscious way. In fact, they rarely
left their apartment in later years, except to go to the Newberry, to
restaurants or to make occasional visits to friends. For the most part, people
came to them. And they both enjoyed whiskey -- never, by all accounts, to
excess; but it was a regular and important part of their daily routine for many
years. Nearly everyone I interviewed commented on the ritual, toward the end of
each business day, when Wright would bring out the bourbon and the conversation
would shift to lighter topics. Wright frequently referred to this practice as
the "attitude adjustment hour."
There is so much that I haven't spoken about tonight. For example, the nearly
40-year relationship between Wright Howes and his best customer and closest
friend, Everett Graff. Graff, from a small town in Iowa, was, like Howes, a
self-made man. He rose to become the wealthy and powerful President of Ryerson
Steel and Chairman of the Boards of Trustees of the Newberry Library and the
Art Institute of Chicago. He built, under the tutelage of Howes, one of the
great collections of Americana which be generously bequeathed to the Newberry.
Graff was a frequent visitor at the Howes, beginning in the mid-1920s. In later
years Wright and Zoe took the train to Winnetka nearly every Sunday to have
lunch with Graff and his wife. Perhaps most interesting of all to posterity,
thanks to Mr. Graff, who kept detailed logs, were the many historical
sightseeing and book buying trips which Wright Howes and Everett Graff took
between the mid 1930s and the early 1950s. Except for one of these trips, when
they went to Mexico, Graff drove the two of them and Howes served as the
navigator. They covered most of the midwestern and western parts of the United
States on these trips. During these journeys -- which lasted anywhere from a
few days to over three weeks -- they called on historical societies and
libraries, visited dealers and collectors, bought books from persons who
responded to the classified ads which Howes had placed in newspapers along
their route and visited the sites of countless battlefields, forts and
historically important events. Mr. Graff's son, who accompanied them on one of
the longer of these trips, told me somewhat ruefully that they also stopped and
read out loud every historical marker which they passed. Mr. Graff's reports of
most of these trips are preserved at the Newberry Library. They are beautifully
and engagingly written and make wonderful reading. Mr. Graff also read many of
the books he collected and was nearly as much a student of American history as
his mentor.
I have also said almost nothing about the preparation or significance of
U.S.Iana. I believe it is fair to say that it remains today -- over 40 years
after first being issued -- the most widely used, respected and valuable
compilation of Americana for collectors and dealers. Invariably, when a dealer
pulls his copy off the shelf, its battered condition attests to its heavy
usage. The monumental task of assembling it over a three-year period in the
1950s, during which Wright was a Fellow of, and received financial and other
forms of assistance from, the Newberry Library, represented the culmination of
Wright's long and specialized career in the Americana book trade. It could only
have been done as a result of the knowledge gained and the detailed notes taken
and retained by Wright throughout that career. In preparing U.S.Iana, Wright
had no team of assistants and no computers to aid him. He did the entire job by
himself, except for a single part-time assistant. It was, in retrospect, a
heroic effort.
Nothing I have found so far has lessened my admiration for Wright and Zoe. I
only wish that the bug had bitten me earlier, so that I might have spent
several "attitude adjustment hours" with them. I would have been much
the richer for it.
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